Into the Penalty Box
Ha Sunmoon nodded as if he understood Clive Harrison’s words, but he didn’t want to agree with everything.
“Still, even if the team lost, being that cheerful feels a bit off. Wouldn’t it be better to show at least some frustration?”
[That’s good too. Either way, you just need to find the right mindset for the next match.]
After receiving Ronaldo’s surprise touch and wink, Ha Sunmoon headed toward the locker room with a slightly dazed expression.
[Whoa. This is intense.]
The moment he stepped into the locker room, the atmosphere was heavy. Pep Guardiola’s face was grim, and the veteran Manchester City players—who had sensed this mood coming—quickly gathered the others and sat down carefully.
[Ugh. We won, but it feels like we lost. It’s suffocating in here.]
Clive Harrison shook his head after confirming that the locker room was solemn despite the victory. The football teams he had played for, the ones he knew, were at least celebratory on days they won.
Receiving a pointed look from Fernandinho, Ha Sunmoon quickly moved to his seat and sat down. Once every player, including the last to arrive, was in place, Pep Guardiola opened his mouth.
“You all did very well to win today’s match.”
[Hmm! He’s applying the medicine before the injection. You know what I mean? The disinfectant they swab on before the needle.]
Ha Sunmoon swallowed hard.
“Especially Ha, who came on unexpectedly today and delivered such a strong performance right away. Excellent work.”
Pep Guardiola praised Ha Sunmoon first. When the eyes of the entire locker room suddenly turned toward him, Ha Sunmoon looked a little embarrassed. It wasn’t that he had never received praise before, but he still felt awkward around the other players, so the shyness was unavoidable.
“It was different from the role I mentioned before, but today’s match required that kind of play to unsettle the opponent.”
Of course, what Pep Guardiola had originally wanted was for Sterling—starting on the left wing—to shake up the defense while Ha Sunmoon pushed up slightly to support from behind. Still, it seemed he considered the two roles flowing successfully to be acceptable.
But Pep Guardiola’s praise ended there.
“Today’s problem was set pieces. Overall, we were a little complacent. I know you defenders always work hard and are capable players, but you need to be more aggressive in the physical battles.”
“Understood.”
“And for second balls, everyone needs to stay alert. Ronaldo getting the ball was luck, but we could have reduced the angle for his shot. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
Pep Guardiola spoke to the two players who had been near Ronaldo at the time, and they nodded in acknowledgment.
[Wow. I take back what I said earlier. No need to find the right mindset for the next game on your own. The manager tightens the screws here and keeps the tension high. If he’s like this even after a win, I’m curious how it goes when we actually lose.]
Clive Harrison looked somewhat fascinated by the current situation.
[Tough. It’s tough. Still, it might be good to loosen up a bit after a win. Ending on a sour note like this… Isn’t it too exhausting?]
“And Ha.”
“Yes, Coach.”
When Pep Guardiola suddenly called for Ha Sunmoon, Clive Harrison was slightly startled.
[This feels ominous. Something’s off. He calls for you right when he’s about to scold someone?]
“I noticed you handled the physical battles very well today.”
Pep Guardiola’s words were praise, yet there was something subtle about them. Still, since he wasn’t angry at Ha Sunmoon, Clive Harrison thought it was fortunate.
“Yes. I knew the Premier League would be quite rough, so the physical training I’ve been doing seems to have helped.”
Ha Sunmoon also noticed from the probing look in Pep Guardiola’s eyes that this praise wasn’t one hundred percent genuine.
“No, well… Your height isn’t exactly small for a fullback…”
[Ah! Ah! Ah!!! We’re screwed now.]
The moment the topic of height came up, Clive Harrison let out a groan as if he had realized something.
[He’s telling you to contest aerial balls during set pieces from now on.]
‘Oh no…’
If there was one area where Ha Sunmoon lacked confidence, it was aerial duels. He had always secured good positions or harassed opponents who won the first ball to steal it away. Because he hadn’t actively used his body to win possession that often, Ha Sunmoon suddenly began to worry.
‘It can’t be…’
But the moment you think “surely not,” it always happens. Pep Guardiola called over a coach, whispered something, then looked at Ha Sunmoon as if he had made a decision.
“Hmm. With that height, it should be doable. Starting with the next set piece, I want you to enter the penalty box and contest aerial balls. From now on, we’ll also adjust set-piece training to focus on physical battles inside the penalty box.”
“Yes, understood.”
After that, Pep Guardiola went through each player one by one, explaining what they had done well and what had been disappointing. The players listened attentively to his words.
“Sterling. To be honest, I was a little disappointed in you today. The role I wanted from you was what Ha ended up doing. I wanted you, the striker, to unsettle the opponent more than the fullback.”
Ha Sunmoon flinched slightly at Pep Guardiola’s words. He felt uncomfortable, thinking Sterling was being scolded because of him.
“But thanks to that, I saw another side of you. You yielded that role to Ha and covered his back well. Plus, your timely runs into the box were very impressive.”
At the same time, he began mentioning Sterling to the other players as well.
“I know I impose very strict roles on all of you. What I want from you next is this: ‘role switching.’ It’s something I’ve already asked a few players to do. But I’ve rarely seen players switch roles so naturally between themselves. This is something you’d only see at Barcelona.”
The highest praise Pep could give poured onto Sterling instead, and thanks to that, Ha Sunmoon’s discomfort eased a little.
“We succeeded in making fluid switches within the roles I set. That made the opponent even more unsettled. Very well done. It was a highly successful case. As I always say, whenever you make that kind of judgment, feel free to execute tactical switches.”
The players nodded as they listened to Pep.
‘They’re already players close to the world’s best, but there’s still so much to learn here.’
“Ha! You were amazing today!”
“Look over here, please!”
On the way back home after the match—or rather, on the way into the hotel where he was staying—Ha Sunmoon was cheered by fans. Having shown an impressive performance in today’s game, people in Manchester were gradually starting to recognize him.
[Alright, now’s the time to act cocky and wave to the fans.]
“Yes, thank you.”
But Ha Sunmoon simply gave a kind greeting and went inside.
[Aww. Boring.]
“Why?”
[This is England. Be a proper alpha male, okay? Turn into a lion, I’m telling you.]
“There’s no need to act like that with the fans too.”
[No! You have to do it all the time. Otherwise you lose your edge! Always think about showing the fans your coolest side. You make enough exhausted faces during training.]
“Ah! Now that you mention it… Haah… It’s already tough enough, but… the training against the center-backs has increased again.”
[Hehehe. Set pieces really are war.]
Clive Harrison cackled at Ha Sunmoon’s words.
[Stones, Dias, Laporte, Ake. I can see the styles of all four now. Each has clear strengths and weaknesses. You got absolutely destroyed by Stones and Dias with their tight man-marking before, right?]
Ha Sunmoon recalled that horrible situation at Clive Harrison’s words.
“Ugh… Am I going to get crushed again?”
[Laporte is at least manageable when he’s on you. He’s not a specialist in man-marking. He’s a player strong in build-up play.]
“What about Ake? His height isn’t that different from mine.”
At that moment, Clive Harrison’s eyes sparkled.
[Height? Is that what matters? I’ve never once seen Ake lose an aerial duel.]
“Really?”
Ha Sunmoon was genuinely surprised by Clive Harrison’s words.
[Surprising, right? The key to aerial duels is height and physicality, yet the center-back furthest from those traits wins them.]
“Yes. It’s amazing.”
[In other words, you can do it too. So stick close during training and learn. Seeing someone overcome their weaknesses up close is a great opportunity.]